Process for the formation of selvedges on looms



//V MFA/70,9 RAY/ 40M) DEW/45 M A E/VEYS y 1963 R. DEWAS 3,090,405

PROCESS FOR THE FORMATION OF SELVEDGES ON LOOMS Filed June 1, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' /A/ 1 62/70 A film/w 3am: By w A Tram 5y;

R. DEWAS May 21, 1963 PROCESS FOR THE FORMATION OF SELVEDGES ON LOOMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 1, 1959 y 1963 R. DEWAS 3,090,405

PROCESS FOR THE FORMATION OF SELVEDGES ON LOOMS Filed June 1, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I I M A TTOIQWFYS United States Patent 3,090,405 PRGICESS FOR THE FORMATTON OF SELVEDGES ON LOOMS Raymond Dewas, 120 Blvd. de Saint-Quentin, Amiens, France Filed June 1, 1959, Ser. No. 817,226 Claims priority, application Luxembourg June 4, 1958 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-124) The invention relates to weaving looms, rectilinear, circular or otherwise, having shuttles or continuous weft feed, of all kinds.

It refers to the formation of the selvedges on fabric, the edges of which are unfinished (i.e. with the ends of the several picks of weft left projecting from the edge of the fabric), and to the formation of center on inside selvedges.

The invention consists in binding the Warp threads by means of an independent thread which is inserted in short lengths, form-ing hair-pin like elements, the length of which determines the width of the selvedge, the two shanks of one and the same binding hair-pin like thread element being inserted in different sheds, and the adjacent shanks of two neighbouring hair-pins being, according to the manner of formation adopted for the selvedge, inserted either in the same shed or in different sheds.

According to a first method of selvedge formation, the independent thread is introduced between the warp threads in the form of successive loops which are cut at their summits located in the interior of the fabric, the contiguous shanks of two neighbouring hair-pin binding elements being thereupon beaten-up against the fabric at the same time as a weft shot.

According to a second method of selvedge formation, the independent thread is introduced between the warp threads of a first shed in the form of a loop which is cut at its summit located in the interior of the fabric, the thread joined to the bobbin of the independent thread is then drawn off from the shed and the shank of the hairpin binding thread element thus formed is beaten-up against the cloth at the same time as a weft shot; then the end of the thread which has been drawn off is introduced into another shed; after which the shank which, after repetition of the cycle, will form a hair-pin binding element, is beaten-up against the cloth at the same time as another weft shot.

The principle of the invention and the advantages resulting therefrom, as well as others which will apear hereafter, will be fully understood with the help of the following description of a form of construction of each of the methods for operating the principle of the invention, given simply by way of non-limitative example, and diagrammatically represented in the attached drawings, in which:

PEG. 1 is a view of the selvedge of a fabric with simple cut weft shots, obtained on a weaving loom with continuous weft feed, this selvedge being formed according to the first method of operating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the device used for this purpose;

FIG. 2a is a section made on line Ila-Ila of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the selvedge forming device.

FIG. 4 is a section made on line IVIV of FIG. 3, drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but referring to the second method of operating the invention.

FIGS. 6 to 10 are plan views showing the course of insertion according to the second method of operating the invention;

FIG. 11 is a view in perspective of one form of carrying out the assembly of the arrangement according to FIG. 2 showing the control of the different parts;

FIG. 12 is a view in perspective of one form of carrying out the assembly of the arrangement according to FIGS. 6 to 10, showing the control of the different parts;

FIG. 12a is a section made on line XIIaXIIa of FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a device for holding the thread which has reference to the first method of operating the invention.

FIGURE 13a is a section made on line XlIIa-XIIIa of FIGURE 13.

In these figures, 1 are the warp threads, 2 the fell of the cloth and 3 the fabric.

4 is a curved needle the outer surface of which has a longitudinal groove forming an auxiliary thread receiving channel. The needle 4 is adapted to enter the selvedge warp sheets for the purpose of inserting therebetween an independent thread 5 supplied from a bobbin not shown.

The pointed end 6 of this needle, which enters into the opening of the shed, has an eye 7 (FIG. 3) through which the independent thread 5 is threaded.

8 is a reciprocating plunger carrying near its point 10 a cutting part 11, formed by a slanting cutting blade turned upwardly.

According to the first method of selvedge formation, the assembly forming the device functions in the following manner:

As soon as the reed, not shown, carried by the batten, recedes after having beaten-up theweft against the fell 2 of the cloth, the needle 4 enters the shed in such a manner that the independent thread 5, passing through the eye 7, is stretched in the interior of the selvedge. The lowering of the plunger 8 then causes the point 10 thereof to pass between the independent thread and the curved needle, across the warp threads 1; at this stage in the operation the movement of the needle 4 is reversed and its point 6 is withdrawn from the shed, a loop 9 of the independent thread 5 being held in the shed by the plunger 8, as shown in FIG. 2.

The needle 4 entirely passes out of the path of the reed, then, while the latter approaches the fell 2 of the cloth, the plunger 8 is lifted and its cutting part 11 cuts the loop 9 at its inner bight. The reed then presses the weft 21 as well as the cut loop against the fell of the cloth, the cut loop being divided constituting the two adjacent shanks 9a and 9b of two neighbouring hair-pin binding elements (FIG. 1).

The cutting of the loop 9 has the advantage of preventing the accidental deweaving of the independent thread, which otherwise might occur, during the sequence of the manipulations which the piece of fabric finally undergoes.

The rise of the plunger 8 might produce a pulling effect on the independent thread which would complicate the cutting. This can be avoided by providing the needle 4 with a heel 62 (FIG. 13) which, at the end of the outward travel of the needle, presses the thread 5 against a stop or abutment 63, preferably compressible, so as to resist any sliding movement of the thread towards the plunger.

The cutting of the loop 9 being effected by the lifting of the plunger 8, this loop, at the moment which immediately precedes its cutting, is drawn upwardly by the plunger and lifts the warp threads of the upper sheet of the shed which are close to the plunger and might cause inconvenience. To avoid this, the plunger 8 may be provided with a pressing pad 12 which comes to rest on the warp threads 1 of the said upper sheet.

This pressing pad 12 is fixedly mounted on the end of a rod 13, which slides in holes in the two plates, 14a and 14b, attached to the plunger 8. The upper end of the rod 13 carries a piece 15 of U-shape, which freely embraces the plunger 8 so as to prevent the rod 13 from turning about its axis, and tolimit the downward move- 3 merit of rod -13 by engaging the plate 14b. On therod 13 is mounted a spring 16 which presses, at one end, against the plate 14b, and at the other end, against a collar 17, secured to the rod 13, at an adjustable height, by a set screw 18.

The function of this pressing device is as follows:

When the point 1h of the plunger enters the warp threads and the loop 9, the pressing pad 12 comes to rest on the warp threads of the upper sheet, which partially give way, but resist the pressing pad to some extent and the rod 13 compresses the spring '16 till the moment when the plunger reaches the end of its downward travel. Then, the plunger 8, together with its cutting part, rises into contact with the thread of the loop 9 and pulls it up to the moment when it is cut. However the spring 16 of the rod 13 causes the pressing pad 12 to exert a pressure which helps the warp threads to withstand the tractive effort which the loop 9 exerts on them immediately before it is cut.

The pressing pad 12. can be actuated and/or supported independently of the plunger or not; it can, in case of need, press up to the edge of the selvedge and/ or of both sides of the path of the needle.

The control of the curved needle and of the plunger is effected as shown in FIG. 11. A temple 22 is shown here.

The elements are shown here in a simplified form and are free of the accessories whichdo not contribute to the understanding of the various movements, such as the pressing and adjusting devices, etc. I

This control effects the movement of the curved needle 4 and that of the plunger 8 by means of a single cam containing a groove 23.

This latter imparts by means of a roller 24 a rectilineal reciprocating movement to a part 25, slidably movable to ward and away from the cam axis in a guiding arrangement, not shown. The part 25 terminates in the form of a fork 26 and its reciprocating movement is transmitted to a bearing block 27 mounted in the fork 26, whereby the block 27 dairies out a reciprocating movement in the f 6 which is transverse to the reciprocating movement of the part 25. The block 27 is pivotally mounted on a pin 28 carried by a lever 29 secured to a vertical shaft 34} which turns in a bearing not shown. The curved needle 4 is attached to the shaft 30 through an arm 31, pinned on this shaft, which thus imparts to it its reciprocating pivoting movement.

The plunger 8 is carried by a lever 32, fixedly mounted on a horizontal shaft 33, the bearing of which is not shown, and is angularly reciprocated by a lever 34 carrying a pin 35 which supports a cam follower or roller 36 engaged in the cam groove 23. The choice of the radii and the positions of the different elements allow the curved needle 4 and the plunger 8 to be moved in accordance with the laws of movement,

which assure the correct sequence of the phases.

In the second method of seivedge formation (FIGS. to the parts are similar to those used in the first method, but the needle 4 carries in addition a shoe 19 which grips the independent thread 5 at a certain period of the cycle which, in the example shown, extends over the insertion of two weft shots.

The arrangement of the device functions in the following manner:

When the reed recedes, the needle 4 enters the shed in such manner that the independent thread 5, drawn through the eyelet 7, forms a loop 9 (FIG. 6). When the needle arrives at the end of its travel inwardly, the shoe 19 grips the thread 5.

The lowering movement of the plunger 3 then causes the point 10 of the latter to pass between the independent thread and the curved needle across the warp threads 1 (FIG. 6).

The movement of the needle 4 is then reversed and the independent thread 5 stretched on the cutting part 11 of the plunger 3 which has begun to lift is cut, the portion of thread 5a located between the cutting part 11 and the needle, being drawn along by the latter as shown in FIG. 7.

The needle 4 and the plunger 8 now move clear of the path of the reed and the latter then presses the warp shot 21 and the part of the independent thread remaining in the interior of the selvedge against the fell 2, the part of the independent thread in the selvedge constituting the second shank' of a hair-pin binding thread element.

The needle 4 enters the opening of the following shed with the extremity 5a of the independent thread, cut as already mentioned and the plunger again penetrates the warp threads (FIG. 8).

The selvedge threads again closed by the healds or/ and locally pressed by the pressing device mounted on the plunger, or by any other suitable means, then grip the extremity 5a as soon as the movement of the needle is reversed. The extremity 5a turns round the plunger and gets taut, and at th is moment the shoe i9 releases the thread (FIG. 9). The needle then continues its movement outwardly; the independent thread, held by movement of the shed, slides freely through the needle (FIG. 10). Then the reed presses the weft at the same time as the extremity 5a of the independent thread against the fell of the cloth, said extremity. constituting the first shank 9c of a hair-pin binding thread element, of which the second shank 9d (FIG. 5) will be inserted into the next shed, at the start of a new cycle.

The more or less prolonged gripping of the thread 5 by the shoe 19 enables hair-pin binding thread elements to be inserted only intermittently from every two or three weft threads, for example.

The control of the curved needle, the shoe and the plunger is effected as shown in FIG. 12.

Similarly in FIGURE 11, the elements are there shown in a simplified form and are free of accessories which contribute nothing to the understanding of the various movements, such as pressure and control devices, etc.

For this second method of selvedge formation comprising a cycle of two different phases, use is made of two cams containing grooves 37 and 38, which receive their movement from a shaft 39 and of which each has two steps of action for operating respectively the curved needle 4 and the plunger 8; the periphery of the grooved cam 37 being arranged so as to form a cam surface 40', used for the control of the shoe 19, which effects the gripping of the thread 5 on the curved needle 4; this cam '40 can be made of one piece detachable from the cam 37, so as to allow the control of the timing of the brake relatively to the curved needle.

The movement of this needle '4 is effected in a manner similar to that of the device of FIG. 11.

The plunger 8, carried by a lever 41, fixedly mounted on a shaft 42, of which the bearing is not shown, is pivotally reciprocated by a lever 43 which carries a roller or cam follower 44 engaged in the groove 38.

The shoe 19 is connected by a bent arm 45, prolonged by another bent arm 47 to two sleeves, 46 and 48, which slide freely on the cylindrical rod 49 serving for moving the curved needle; this rod turns in bearings, not shown, located at the rod portions having the reference numerals 50 and 51.

An opening or cut 52 made in the upper flange of the needle 4 allows the shoe 19, when it is lowered, to come into contact with thread 5 and to press it on the lower flange of the U-shaped cross-section of the needle; the upturned sides 53 and 54 of the opening 52 cause the brake to participate in the rotation of the needle; a spring 55 raises the shoe assembly and presses the upper end face 56 of the sleeve 48 against a fork 57, secured to one extremity of a double lever 58 which oscillates on a fixed shaft 59 and whose other extremity carries a pin 60 on which a roller 61 is mounted. The roller, kept in contact with the cam surface 40 by the action of the spring 55, lowers the shoe 19 to grip the thread when the radius of the cam increases, and the thread 5 is released by the action of the spring 55 when the radius decreases.

The cutting part may be of any appropriate shape; it is by preference removably mounted. It can be replaced by scissors.

Instead of cutting the independent thread by a cutting part on the plunger, 2. cutting blade may be placed on the needle 4, in proximity to the eye 7. It is then possible that when the independent thread, kept taut by the selvedge, approaches progressively the blade as and when the needle enters, and finishes by cutting itself off. On the needle, between the eye 7 and such a cutting blade, there may be placed an elastic pincer into which the thread 5 enters before being cut, such pincer performing the function of the shoe 19.

The extremities of the independent thread 5 when cut by the plunger, may emerge on the surface of the fabric 3. In order to avoid this inconvenience by a simple means, and also for another purpose explained hereafter, there is provided, in proximity to the point 10- of the plunger 8, an oblique part 20 (FIG. 3), so that the plunger, when penetrating into the warp threads, diverts a certain number of them towards the selvedge and thus creates a space between the plunger and the neighbouring warp threads located on the side of the plunger opposite the selvedge. It is in the part thus isolated from the warp threads that the plunger is provided With the cutting element 11 with the result that there is no risk of the element 11 damaging the said Warp threads.

When a plunger with a ramp 20 after having cut the loop of the independent thread, continues its outgoing movement, it liberates the warp threads which it had pushed back towards the selvedge, and these latter, by resuming their place, lengthen and enclose the cut extremity or extremities in the interior of the shed.

The same effect could be obtained by imparting to a plunger without a bent arm a movement taking it towards the selvedge once it is engaged in the warp threads and putting it back in its place after the cutting of the loop. The same effect could also be obtained with an elastic plunger.

The cutting part 11 can also be arranged perpendicularly to the fell 2 of the cloth. It can also occupy an intermediary position between this latter and that shown in the figures. By adoption of these means, the relative lengths of the shanks of the hair-pin binding thread elements can be adjusted.

It is to be understood that the invention can also be used for consolidating or embellishing selvedges made on any type of loom.

It is also to be understood that variants, improvements in the details and uses of equivalent means can be imagined, without thereby extending the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a loom for weaving fabric, an arcuate needle, a shaft located close to the marginal warp threads of the shed, said needle being mounted upon said shaft for pivotal reciprocatory movement in the plane of the fabric into and out of the sheds formed by the operation of the loom, said needle having an eye in the forward end thereof and a longitudinal groove for receiving an auxiliary thread, said needle inserting loops of said auxiliary thread into different sheds, a pointed plunger, means supporting said plunger for pivotal movement about a transverse axis perpendicular to the warp threads and located close to the path of travel of said needle, said plunger being adapted to penetrate into the shed substantially at right angles to the plane of the fabric and to enter successively the inner bight of each loop of said auxiliary thread for retaining said loops while the needle moves out of the shed, and a cutting blade carried by said plunger for cutting each of said loops at the inner bight thereof.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a pressing pad vertically movable along said plunger and resilient means engaging said pad for pressing it downwardly against the warp shed at least while said cutting blade is moving upwardly for cutting said loops.

3. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plunger has a lower end portion inclined upwardly relatively to the marginal warp threads.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an abutment located at the end of the outer stroke of said needle and adapted to be engaged by said needle for clamping the auxiliary thread while said cutting blade moves upwardly for cutting the loops thereof.

5. The device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising clamping means for temporarily clamping said auxiliary thread upon said needle, and means connected with said clamping means for actuating them in a sequential order dependent upon the movements of said needle.

6. The method of forming fabric selvedges on looms, which comprises the steps of inserting an auxiliary thread in the form of loops between the marginal threads of the warp shed with the loops having alternately an outer bight embracing the outermost warp thread and an inner bight, successively severing the loops at their inner bight, Whereby the auxiliary thread is gradually separated into a plurality of hairpin-like elements each of which comprises two shanks, and beating-up the adjacent shanks of adjacent hairpin-like elements simultaneously with a weft thread.

7. A method of forming on looms fabric selvedges having auxiliary threads in the shape of hairpin-like elements disposed along the marginal lengths of the fabric, said method comprising the steps of inserting said auxiliary thread in the form of a loop together with a weft thread between the marginal threads of the warp shed, said loop having an outer bight embracing the outermost warp thread and an inner bight, severing the loop at its inner bight, whereby the portion of auxiliary thread extending between said outer bight and said inner bight forms a shank of a hairpin-like element, withdrawing from the shed that portion of the auxiliary thread from which the first-mentioned thread portion was cut off, beating-up said weft thread simultaneously with said shank of the hairpin-like element reinserting the second-mentioned portion of the auxiliary thread into the next shed along with the next weft thread and beating-up the second-mentioned portion of the auxiliary thread simultaneously with said next weft thread, whereby the second-mentioned thread portion forms a shank of a succeeding hairpin-like element.

8. A method of forming fabric selvedges on looms, which comprises the steps of inserting an auxiliary thread in the form of loops between the marginal threads of the warp shed with the loops having alternately an outer bight embracing the outermost warp thread and an inner bight, successively severing the loops at their inner bight where by the auxiliary thread is gradually separated into a plurality of hairpin-like elements each of which comprises two shanks, and beating-up the shanks of the hairpin-like elements together with the weft threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 760,376 Barlet Aug. 6, 1902 2,175,787 Sullivan Oct. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,348 Germany Feb. 25, 1899 214,198 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1924 793,031 Great Britain Apr. 19, 1958 

8. A METHOD OF FORMING FABRIC SELVEDGES ON LOOMS, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INSERTING AN AUXILIARY THREAD IN THE FORM OF LOOPS BETWEEN THE MARGINAL THREADS OF THE WARP SHED WITH THE LOOPS HAVING ALTERNATELY AN OUTER BIGHT EMBRACING THE OUTERMOST WARP THREAD AND AN INNER BIGHT, SUCCESSIVELY SEVERING THE LOOPS AT THEIR INNER BIGHT WHEREBY THE AUXILIARY THREAD IS GRADUALLY SEPARATED INTO A PLURALITY OF HAIRPIN-LIKE ELEMENTS EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES TWO SHANKS, AND BEATING-UP THE SHANKS OF THE HAIRPIN-LIKE ELEMENTS TOGETHER WITH THE WEFT THREADS. 